A 1-2 hour interview consists of approximately 30-60 questions.   You can either choose which questions you would like asked in advance of your interview or you can let us have a more free-flowing conversation where we'll choose the questions.  If there are topics you want the interview to steer clear of (e.g. trauma, triggering events, etc.), please let us know.

Below are some sample questions you could be asked in an oral history interview:

Early Life and Childhood:

• Where were you born, and what do you remember about that place?
• What was your home like growing up?
• What are some of your earliest memories?
• What did a typical day look like as a child?
• Who were you closest to in your family?
• What kinds of things do you remember doing as a child?

Family and Relationships:

• How would you describe your parents?
• What values did your family emphasize?
• What traditions or routines stand out to you?
• How did your relationships with family members change over time?
  
• What does family mean to you now?

Education and Formative Years:

• What was school like for you?
• Were there teachers or mentors who influenced you?
• What were your interests or passions as a young person?
• When did you start to form a sense of who you were?
  

Personal Life:

• How did you meet your partner (or significant people in your life)?
• What has love meant to you over time?
• When did you feel most like yourself?
• Were there times when you felt misunderstood or had to redefine yourself?
• How has your sense of identity evolved?
  

Challenges and Difficulties:

• What were some of the hardest periods in your life?
• How did you get through them?
• Were there moments that changed your perspective on life?
• What did you learn about yourself during difficult times?

Historical and Cultural Context:

• What major events do you remember living through?
• How did those events affect your daily life?
• How has the world changed during your lifetime?
  
• What feels different now compared to when you were younger?
  

Work and Career

• How did you choose your career path?
• What was your first job like?
• What moments stand out as turning points in your career?
  
• What are you most proud of professionally?
  
• What did work mean to you beyond earning a living?
  

Values, Beliefs and Philosophy:

• What principles have guided your decisions?
• How have your beliefs changed over time?
• What does a meaningful life look like to you?
• What do you think people misunderstand about your generation or experience?

Legacy and Reflection:

• What are you most proud of in your life?
• What do you hope people remember about you?
  
• What advice would you give to future generations?
• What lessons took you the longest to learn?
• If you could speak to your younger self, what would you say?

Sensory and Memory Triggers:

• What sounds, smells, or places bring you back instantly?
• What music has been important in your life?
• Is there a place that feels like “home” to you?
• What objects have special meaning to you?

Other Questions:

• What made you laugh the most in your life?
• What were you like as a young adult?
• What’s something people might be surprised to know about you?
• What are some of your favorite memories?